The Washington Informer
U.S. Secretary of Education Surprises Southeast Teacher
By Norma Porter
Thursday, May 13, 2010
Stephanie Day always had an interest in social causes, whether the issue surrounded health care inequities, economic disparities in the workplace or civil rights, but she had no idea that one day she would be considered a nationally recognized leader in the field of education, helping to affect change one student at a time.
Day received the D.C. Teacher of the Year Award in February for her work as a special education resource teacher at Friendship Public Charter School's Chamberlain Elementary and Middle School Campus in Southeast.
That's why Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, who calls education the civil rights issue of the 21st century, surprised Day in her classroom while she was reading a story to her students, Tue., May 4. He wanted to express his gratitude for her hard work during National Teacher Appreciation Week - May 3 through May 7.
"Stephanie was [named] the D.C. Teacher of the Year. I'm going to a number of schools this week just to thank teachers for their extraordinary hard work," Duncan said.
"I couldn't be more proud of how teachers are working across the D.C. area and across the country. We can't do enough to honor them and to let them know how much we appreciate their hard work and shine the spotlight on the difference they make in students' lives everyday."
Ironically, Day, 26, never intended to use the classroom to fight social injustice.
She graduated from the University of Oregon in 2005 with a bachelor's degree in sociology and planned to attend graduate school at the University of Wisconsin. Her life changed when Teach for America, an American non-profit organization that recruits recent college graduates to teach for two years in low-income communities throughout the United States, approached her about an opportunity in the District.
"I thought I'd entertain the idea [of teaching], but after I read the statistics about what's going on in so many of our communities with our under-resourced children being left behind I was devastated. I realized it was something I wanted to be a part of immediately."
Day started to teach fifth and sixth grade students at Beers Elementary School in Southeast in 2005, and that's when she fell in love with the profession. She joined the staff at Friendship in 2007 and now works with pre-K through second-graders with autism, speech and language impairments and developmental delays.
The schoolteacher said she teaches her students how to deal with their disabilities.
"I'm in love with my students and I care about them. I feel like they're my own kids now," she said as she helped one of the youngsters in her class write his name.
"Despite the challenges they [the students] face, if they use their strengths to teach to their weaknesses, they can be successful."
Day's friend, Laura McSorley, a pre-K teacher at Bridges Public Charter School in Northwest, said that she nominated her for the D.C. Teacher of the Year Award in September because Day always goes the extra mile.
"Stephanie does more than rehearse one or two lessons to help musical learners or vary the questions she asks to hit multiple cognitive levels. She creates entire experiences around lessons to reach all students," McSorley said.
"I've had the privilege of seeing Stephanie's living room on a school night, the floor covered with poster board and markers, or her notes sprawled out next to iTunes as she rewrites a pop song to teach a math concept."
Day, along with the other 55 teachers who received teacher of the year awards in their respective states, dined with Vice President Joe Biden and his wife, Jill. They also had an opportunity to meet personally with President Barack Obama to commemorate National Teacher Appreciation Week.
Keith Stephenson, the principal of Friendship, said that Day truly deserved the accolades.
"She epitomizes the characteristics of a fine teacher," he said.
"She works with early childhood special education, which is not a very popular teaching position. Her instructional strategies are outstanding. She goes above and beyond with her students, parents and colleagues."